Document Type

Presentation

Date of Original Version

3-29-2025

Abstract

Myths of selkies in various cultural contexts have long been used to address both environmental concerns and the ever-perilous nature of gender relations; an additional feminist reading of popular selkie folklore also reveals deeper dialogue about the issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) present in many narratives that feature them. A hallmark of the selkie story is to have one’s sealskin stolen and held hostage by a lustful fisherman--is this trope an archaic attempt at romance, or a signifier of a deeper conversation about partnership and pain to be beheld within the scope of the fable? Both readings raise questions about intimacy, control, and compulsion that hold significant modern relevance. Much like the slippery sinuousness of the seal, definitions of IPV have been widely varied and deeply difficult to accurately diagnose; selkie stories offer perspectives on lesser-known aspects of IPV, such as coercive control, financial exploitation, and familial alienation through a distinctly folkloric lens. The following paper uses selkie myths from various cultures and locations (including but not limited to its native Scotland, Iceland, and the Pacific Northwest United States) along with the contemporary novel A Sweet String of Salt (Rose Sutherland) to examine how the legend of the selkie can provide valuable insight into both the psychological causes and effects of a pervasive social problem.

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